Razor



Sept. 3,1946. "J. w; ANDERSQN 2,406,983

RAZOR Filed July 1. 1944 INVENTOR. Jan I/V Ande/:sof:

Patented Sept. 3, 1946 UNITED` STATES PATENT OFFICE V RAZOR John W. Anderson, Gary, Ind.

Application July 1, 1944, Serial No. 543,067

23 Claims. 1

This invention relates to razors and in particular to a safety razor of the type wherein the handle assembly is constructed to permit the blade carrying head of the razor to rotate or revolve around the axis of the handle and thereby automatically equalize throughout the length of the cutting edge of the head its pressure against the area to be shaved. Such an automatically adjusting razor is shown in the patent to Buell 2,126,728. In the Buell patent the handle assembly comprises a stem which is drilled and tapped at one end and screwed on a conventional blade carrying head in a conventional manner. A handle in the form of a sleeve is freely rotatably mounted over the stem. With this type of razor it has been difficult to maintain between the stern and the handle the exact degreefof friction which would prevent the razor head from freely spinning or turning out of the desired position preparatory or during a shaving stroke and at the same time avoid excessive friction between the stem and handle which would prevent the razor from readily equalizing its pressure against the area to be shaved throughout changing angles incident to a shaving stroke.

It is also desirable when shaving irregular surface, such, for example, as the upper lip portion about the nose, to be able to use against such surface a corner of the razor head and a corresponding cutting edge of the razor blade. Under such conditions it is desirable that rotation of the head and stem in the sleeve or handle be prevented.

it is the object of this invention to accomplish with maximum convenience to the operator the two purposes above mentioned and other purposes which will appear.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my razor.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the handle and stem of the same.

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig, 4 is an exploded View of the form of my razor shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 are longitudinal sectional views through two modified forms of my razor handle assembly.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown for illustrative purposes a Gillette type razor wherein the head comprises a clamping plate I, a guard plate 2, and a threaded stud 3 fixed centrally to the clamping face of the clamp. The blade (not shown) is clamp-ed between the clamp I and the guard 2 and the head is secured to the handle by means of the screw threaded stud 3.

My handle assembly for holding the head comprises a knurled member 5 having an axial threaded bore 6. The head is secured to the member 5 by screwing the stud 3 into the right hand end of bore 6. An elongated stem 1 provided with a reduced threaded end 8 is arranged to be screwed into the opposite end of bore 6. Stem 'l is provided with an enlarged head 9. A handle member I 0 preferably of molded plastic and in the form of a sleeve is rotatably mounted over stein 1 and retained thereon by head 9. A removable plug II is secured in the counterbored end I2 of sleeve ID. By removing plug II, a screw-driver may be employed to unscrew shaft l from knurled member 5 so that all of the parts may be disassembled for cleaning.

Handle II) is provided with a plurality of elon gated slots I3 extending throughout a portion of the length of the handle. Handle IU is made of a ilexible, or a distortable, or a resilient material, such, for example, as a molded plastic or semi- 'hard rubber. Handle II'I has a loose fit on shaft 1, The normal pressure of the fingers when engaging handle Ill deflects sections I4 of the handle between slots I3 against shaft l, thereby providing sufficient friction to prevent the razor head from moving or revolving too freely but still permitting it to move freely enough to readily equalize its pressure against the surface to be shaved.

When it is desired to prevent the razor head and shaft 'l from turning within handle ID, it is only necessary for the operator to apply additional pressure to the handle without otherwise changing the position of the hand. This pressure is a manual or finger pressure. This increases the friction between the handle Il) and the shaft l sufficiently to permit shaving of comparatively less accessible surfaces, such as adjacent to the nose, without the razor head turning with relation to the handle lll as the result of pressure against one end only of the shaving edge of the razor blade.

The plug Il is preferably frictionally heldin the counterbored or recessed end I2 of handle I0 to prevent the introduction of foreign matter at the head of shaft 1. Knurled member 5 facili.. tates screwing of the handle assembly on and off the threaded portion of the razor head which must be done each time the blade is replaced.

Various shapes of handles other than handles with a round cross-section may be employed within the scope of the invention to accomplish the above purposes by the introduction of a plurality of members or portions variously responsive to the varying pressures of the operators hand.

Sections I4 may, of course, be any plural number and may not be integral with the handle or each other.

Handle I can be made of a distortable material like vulcanized rubber, in which case slots I3 will be omitted. Such distortable and preferably elastic material, such as rubber, will permit the handle to respond to hand pressures to increase the friction or braking action of handle I0 against shaft 'I to accomplish the results above described.

Instead of having the braking action occur between handle I and shaft 1, it may be desirable to have the braking action occur between end I5 of handle III which is adjacent the face I6 of member 5. Two forms of this handle arrangement are shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

In Fig. 5 the handle is made in the form of a sleeve Il of a resilient or elastic distortable material, such as rubber. The sleeve is provided with an internal circumferential arch or relief portion I 8 intermediate its ends so that upon the application of pressure to the arched area I8 the sleeve Il will elongate and thereby cause a braking pressure between face I5 of the sleeve and the face i6 of the member 5 to prevent the head from turning relative to the handle Il.

In Fig. 6 the handle i9 is made of molded plastic provided with slots 2B identically the same as slots I3 of handle IQ, Fig. 1. Handle IB is provided with a circumferential relief or internal groove 2i .intermediate its ends, similar to relief I8 in Fig. 5,. so that hand pressure against the relieved central portion of handle i9 will cause it to elongate and effect a braking action between the end face I5 of handle I9 and face I5 of mem ber 5 to prevent relative rotation between the shaft 'I and handle I9.

In the forms of handles shown in Figs. 5 and 6 braking action will also occur between head `9 and the inner face 22 of recess I2.

The above invention greatly enhances the utility of razors of the type described. Shaving is facilitated. Abrasions resulting from unequal pressures of the blade on the skin are avoided. The skin is left in more comfortable condition. Blades last longer due to the absence of excessive resistance resulting from "scraping occasioned by rigidity of the conventional razors of the Gillette type.

Note particularly that variations in the resistance of the head to rotation are accomplished without altering the position of the hand and merely by reducing or increasing the pressure of the hand upon the handle.

I claim:

1. In a razor of the class described and in combination, a blade-carrying head, an axial member connected thereto, a handle embracing and rotatably mounted on said member and being exibly responsive to pressure of the hand of the operator to frictionally engage said member and retard rotation of said handle on said member.

2. In a razor of the class described and in combination, a blade-carrying head, an axial member connected thereto, a handle embracing said iember and rotatable thereon, said handle being provided with a plurality of sections at least one of which is adapted to respond variously to varying pressures of the operators hand and adapted to transmit correspondingly varying pressures against said member.

3. In a razor of the class described and in combination, a blade-carrying head, an axial member connected thereto, a handle embracing said member and rotatable thereon, said handle having a flexible portion readily and variably displaceable toward said member by varying pressures of the hand of the operator and adapted to contact said member to produce responsively and simultaneously a correspondingly varying frictional resistance to rotation of said handle on said member.

4. A safety razor including a blade carrying head and rigid means secured to said head, a handle of manually distortable material rotatably mounted upon said rigid means, and braking means carried by said handle and rigid means Vand controlled by the manual distortion of said handle to effect a braking action between the handle and rigid means to prevent relative rotation between said handle and rigid means.

5. The combinaiton as set forth in claim 4 wherein the rigid means comprises an elongated rigid stem having a head on its outer end and a connection for removably conecting the stem to the head.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein the rigid means comprises a member having a threaded longitudinal opening therethrough, the said threaded member adapted to have a screw fit with the head in one end of said opening and a rigid stern having a head on one end and the other end threaded and having a screw t in the other end of the opening of said aforementioned member, the said handle being rotatably mounted upon said stem.

7. A safety razor including a blade-carrying head and rigid means rigidly secured to said head, a handle of resilient material rotatably mounted upon said rigid means, said handle having a normally loose iit upon said rigid means to permit free rotation between the handle and said rigid means and at least one longitudinal slot in said handle whereby the handle responds to manual pressure to eifect a braking action between the handle and the rigid means upon which it is mounted to thereby retard relative rotation between the handle and the rigid means.

3. A safety razor comprising a blade-carrying head and a rigid stem Xed to said head, a handie in the form of a sleeve rotatably mounted upon said stem with a small clearance sufcient to permit rotation of the handle on the stem, said h'andle being fabricated from material distcrtable by manual pressure whereby upon the application of such manual pressure to said handle the clearance is taken up between the said stem and handle to effect a braking action between the handle and stem and thereby retard relative rotatie-n between the same.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein the handle is provided with a plurality of elongated lengthwise slots to facilitate manual distortion of said handle to achieve the desired braking effect.

l0. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein the handle is made from a molded plastic and has a plurality of lengthwise slots which facilitate the manual distortion of the handle to achieve the desired braking action between the handle and stem.

l1. A safety razor including a blade-carrying head, a rigid stem, a rigid connection for` connecting the stem to said head, said rigid connection having a greater outside diameter than the outside diameter of the stem whereby the connection forms a shoulder at one end of the stem, a handle rotatably mounted upon said stem and d having one end abutting the aforementioned shoulder, means cooperating with the aforementioned shoulder for retaining said handle on said stem, said handle comprising manually distortable material whereby manual distortion of said h'andle causes an elongation of the same to effect a braking action between the end of the handle and said shoulder to retard relative rotation between the handle and said stem.

12. A safety razor including a blade-carrying head and rigid means secured to said head including a circumferential shoulder, a, handle in the form of a sleeve rotatably mounted upon said rigid means with one end of the sleeve abutting the said shoulder, said rigid means having another shoulder adapted to cooperate with said aforementioned sh'oulder to retain the sleeve upon said rigid means, said handle being fabricated from a manually distortable material and normally having a small clearance with said rigid means to permit free rotation of the handle on said rigid means, the said handle responding to an increase in manual pressure to take up the clearance between the handle and rigid means and thereby effect an elongation of the handle and produce a braking effect between the end of th'e handle and said shoulder to thereby retard relative rotation between the h'andle and rigid means.

13. In a safety razor including a blade-carrying head, a rigid stem, and a shouldered connection for connecting the stem to said head, a handle in the form of a sleeve normally freely rotatably mounted upon said stem, a shoulder adjacent the outer end of said stem for retaining the sleeve thereon, said handle having an internally relieved area intermediate its ends, said handle comprising manually distortable material whereby upon an increasein manual pressure in the area of said relief the handle is manually distorted and elongated to produce a braking effect between the end of the handle and the shoulder.

14. The combination as set forth in claim 13 wherein the handle is provided with a plurality of lengthwise slotsto facilitate manual distortion of the same.

15. In a safety razor and in combination a blade-carrying head, rigid means secured to said head, a handle rotatably carried by said rigid means, and displaceable means carried by said handle and adapted to retard variably such rotation of said rigid means by varying the presmeans actuatable to retard relative rotation between said handle and rigid means.

17. A safety razor including rigid means adapt ed to be secured to a blade carrying head, a handle rotatably mounted on said rigid means, and said handle being provided with manually actuatable braking means responding variously to varying manual pressures to retard relative rotation between the handle and rigid means.

18. In a safety razor of the type having a blade carrying head and a rigid shaft secured thereto, the combination of a handle rotatably mounted on said shaft, and said handle being provided with manually actuatable braking means responding variously to varying pressures of the operators hand to retard relative rotation between the handle and the shaft.

19. A safety razor including a blade-carrying head having rigid means extending therefrom, a handle rotatably mounted on said rigid means, and said handle being provided with braking means actuatable to engage th'e rigid means to retard relative rotation between said handle and said rigid means.

20. A safety razor including rigid means extending from a head adapted to have cutting means attached thereto, a handle rotatably mounted on said rigid means, and said handle having manually actuatable braking means responsive variously to varying manual pressures to retard relative rotation between said handle and said rigid means.

21. In a safety razor of the type having a blade carrying head, the combination of rigid means Y adapted to be secured to said head, a handle rotatably mounted on said rigid means, said handle including at least one section having a loose nt on said rigid means whereby said section responds variously to varying manual pressures to effect a braking action with said rigid means and retard relative rotation between th'e handle and rigid means.

22. A razor provided with a spindle, a handle movably mounted on the spindle, said handle including at least one section having a loose iit on the spindle whereby at least one section may respond variously to varying manual pressures to eiiect a braking action between a portion of said section and said rigid means.

23. A razor provided with a spindle, a handle movably mounted on said spindle, said handle comprising a plurality of sections positioned circumferentially of the spindle and having a loose fit thereupon whereby said handle may respond variously to varying manual pressures applied throughout a substantial portion of the length of said sections to retard relative movement between th'e handle and spindle.

JOHN W. ANDERSON. 

